Doctor Who returns to BBC1 screens

Following a long-running campaign from fans, time traveller Doctor Who is to clamber back into his tardis and return to BBC screens after a 14-year break to do battle with the daleks once again.

But in a move that will surprise devotees of the show, the new series is being written for BBC1 by Russell T Davies, creator of controversial Channel 4 drama Queer as Folk.

Mr Davies, who also wrote ITV dramas Bob and Rose and The Second Coming, the critically acclaimed two-part drama about the reappearance in Salford of the son of God, said today he wanted to "introduce the character to a modern audience".

"I grew up watching Doctor Who, hiding behind the sofa like so many others. He's had a good rest and now it's time to bring him back," said Mr Davies.

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary," he said.

Famous for its theme music, wonky sets, convoluted plots and legendary baddies such as the daleks and the cybermen, the series originally ran on the BBC from 1963 to 1989.

Actors including Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Peter Davidson, Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy are among those who have played the eccentric timelord in his seven incarnations.

An early favourite to play the title role is Alan Davies, who worked with Mr Davies on Bob and Rose and has been linked with the part before. Other candidates could include Richard E Grant, who played the character in a BBC internet version of the show.

Doctor Who returned to the BBC briefly in 1996 for an ill-fated one off co-production with US film giant Universal, in which Paul McGann played the doctor. The made-for-television film was poorly received by critics who said it lacked the humour of the original and relied too much on gimmicky special effects.

The doctor has also returned for a number of one-off audio specials on the internet, which immediately became some of the most viewed pages on the BBC website.

The BBC1 controller, Lorraine Heggessy, told the Telegraph she had wanted to bring back the much-loved series for two years but had been held up because the rights belonged to commercial arm BBC Worldwide, which was trying to agree a deal with a Hollywood film studio.

"Worldwide has now agreed that, as they haven't made the film and I've been waiting for two years, it's only right that BBC1 should have a crack at making a series," she said.

Mr Davies will start writing the six-part series next year, with the results not expected to be seen on screen until 2005.

"We're thrilled to have a writer of Russell's calibre to take us on this journey. However we're at the very first stages of development and further details, including casting, will not be available for some time," said Mal Young, head of drama series at the BBC.